Confusion as practices told they can leave moderately frail patients off new register

Exclusive Practices 'don't need to do anything' with patients identified as moderately frail, says the GPC after confusion regarding the requirements of the new GP contract in England.

From 1 July, practices are required to use an appropriate tool 'to identify patients aged 65 and over who are living with moderate or severe frailty' but GP leaders have said that no follow-up is required in those patients with moderate scores.

A summary of the frailty requirements says GPs will need to make a ‘clinical judgement’ on whether patients identified as moderately frail using the prescribed electronic Frailty Index tool have an appropriate diagnosis.

The summary, published by NHS Employers and the BMA, states: ‘Patients identified by the tool as living with moderate frailty, clinical judgement will be required to determine whether that diagnosis is appropriate.’

Pulse has asked NHS England for further clarification, however GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey told Pulse: 'The moderately frail patients you don't need to do anything with. The only requirement is to focus on severe frailty. The moderately frail ones you could code if you wanted to, if it's clinically appropriate.

'It's a much larger group and a much more disparate group, so the tool may not be quite so specific for those.'

The guidance indicates that for the average practice, 3% of their over-65s will be identified as severely frail and 12% as moderately frail – roughly 2.5% of the average practice patient population by GPC estimate.